Apparatus for forming glass articles



June 28, 1949. w s 2,474,708

APPARATUS FOR FORMING GLASS ARTICLES Filed July 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR FORMING GLASS ARTICLES Filed July 8, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i INVENTOR DANIEL B. WESTIN ATTORNEYS Patented June 28, 1949 APPARATUS FOR FORMING GLASS ARTICLES Daniel B. Westin, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Hartford-Empire Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application July 8, 1946, Serial No. 682,071

This invention relates generally to the manufacture of glassware and has particular relation to the production of glass articles, such as, for example, bottle stoppers which are formed plurally in gangs or groups from portions of glass of a common parent body or charge to which they remain connected during their formation and from which they subsequently are stripped or separated.

An object of the invention is to provide an efficient, automatic apparatus for producing articles of the character above described.

Apparatus constructed and operated in accordance with the invention provides novel means for handling and disposing of the glass articles and residual glass of the parent body in an eflicient manner with a minimum of ware breakage.

The invention has the further advantage of being applicable to and usuable with structural and operating parts of a well-known glassware forming machine, an example of which is disclosed by Patent No. 1,911,119, granted May 23, 1933 to H. W. Ingle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followin description of the invention, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1 wherein takeout grippers are illustrated gripping a parent body common to aplurality of bottle stoppers which have been dissociated therefrom by movement of the grippers to the parent body gripping position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the gripper mechanism in the position which it assumes prior to engaging the parent body of glass and dissociating the stoppers therefrom.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is generally illustrated a bed plate or frame I upon which may be mounted a mold mount 2 which operably supports a two-section mold 3. Associated with the mold 3 is a two-section neck ring 4 axially aligned with a vertically reciprocable pressing plunger 5. The neck ring is carried by a transfer mechanism. generally in- 6 Claims. (Cl. 49-14) dicated by the numeral 6, which supports, transfers and inverts the neck ring 4 and, in addition, opens and closes the sections of the neck ring.

Except as hereinafter particularly noted, the several parts of the apparatus designated generally by the numerals 2 through 6 are illustrated in the aforementioned Ingle Patent No. 1,911,119 and reference may be made thereto for the general details of the construction and operation of those parts. i

It will be noted that the mold 3 herein illustrated and described differs from that shown in the Ingle patent. More particularly, mold 3 in its closed or assembled position defines a plurality of mold cavities l which are closed at their upper ends and communicate at their lower ends through restricted openings or gates 8 with the interior of the neck ring 4. Each of the mold cavities l, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is adapted to receive through its runner 8 a portion of a glass charge which may be deposited in the neck ring 4 and pressed upwardly by the plunger 5 to form a glass stopper 9 in each cavity I.

It will be seen that the mold 3 imparts a final shape to each portion of the glass charge formed in each cavity 1 thereof.

The molten glass charge may be supplied to the neck ring while the mold 3 is in its open position, the charge is received by the closed neck ring with the plunger 5 in its retracted position (not shown) whereupon the mold 3 is closed and the charge pressed into the mold cavity 1 by upward movement of the plunger 5 to the position shown in Fig. 1. As there shown, the pressing includes an inverted cup shaped parent body portion l0 and a line of vertically extending parallel glass stoppers 9 connected to the parent body or stop iii by break-off runners lila. The pressing is also formed with an annular rib lllb projecting upwardly from the lip of the cup shaped portion and with a second rib I00 par allel to and spaced from the rib lob.

As illustrated in the drawings, the ribs lilb and H10 are both formed in the neck ring 4 and assurea positive connection between the pressing and the neck ring when the neck ring is transferred from its molding position to a second position where the runners Illa are broken to strip the stoppers 9 from the body 10.

Following thepressing operation, the mold 3 is opened and the glass pressing is transferred by the neck ring operating mechanism 6 through the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 to a position operatively related to the supporting holder indicated generally by the numeral ll. Thereupon the mechanism 6 operates to open the neck ring 4 and release the glass pressin to the support of the holder II and thereafter returns the empty neck ring to its initial closed position at the forming station for receipt of another glass charge.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen: thaafollbw! ing its release by the neck ring, the parent glass body It is supported by its rib lflb on a horizontal,

plate or platform l2 of the holder ll, an ad"=- justable connection l2a being provided ;fon vary ing the elevation of the supporting surface. The:

platform l2 includes a slot or opening l3 which generally conforms to and isadapted to, necfiii ifi.

the lower portion of the supported parent bodsz.

When supported in this manner, the fragile "break-off runners Illa lie approximately in the. plane of the lower surface of the plate lg. with.

the stoppers 9 vertically. dependent therefrom.

A reciprocally mounted, stripper bar. HLis pro:

vitied, for simultaneously fracturing; therunners Hliz and thereby simultaneously stripping-thestoppers. 9 from their parent body. For that purpose the stripper bar I4 is provided with" a slotpone side of which is serrated to provide projections or teeth I5 extending between the depending stoppers. Camming surfaces l5a-of like curvature are adapted to engagethestoppers-and force them obliquely to the line of travel of:

the stripper bar, which line corresponds; to the line connecting the several stoppers.

The stripper bar is mounted'in conventional? manner on the undersideof' the holder-plate- I2; and is normally urged 'to and; resiliently ire-'- str'ained in its left-hand or non-engagingposition relative to the stoppersby-means of a compression spring 1-6. The left-hand or outermost end' lf of; the stripper bar 14 extendsoutwardly beyondthe holder-plate l2" and is engageable by acarnming-member 18 which is-secu'red to and depends from one of' thetwogrippingmembers was agripper I mechanism 2fl= operably mounted on the frame I. The grippermechanism Z W is; illustrative of the typeshown in the aforem'ehtioned Patent No. 1,911,119; to=which-referencemay be made for the general detail's of coh struction and operation.

Fhe operation of the gripper mechanis-mdn eludes movement of the gripperslfi to a closed position relative to one another i'ntermedia-te' the ribs Hiband tile, as shown by solid lines. 'and to open position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig; 1, and further: include movement relative tot-he frame 1 I between the twostation s at which the grippers are illustrated.-

Fhe sequence of steps performed in the OperaH tionof the gripping mechanism. ZWlS flSafOlIOWSi- Presuming that. a glass. body II] has been placed: on the holder. plate I2 with the stoppers erdepend-t. ingvtherefrom through theplateopening-543;. the. gripper arms 19.5 in open. position aretmoved tol the position relativeto the parent body. lil shownl by dotted lines inFig. 1. Thereupon thegri'pper-s or -tongs; l9 are closed uponjtheLparent -bodyr Hi; the: grippers moving into supporting: relationship. with: the body Ill: and. the. circumferential: pro-1 trudingr ribs lb; and. illc thereon. IVl'oyement--- of the members E9 to: grippingr positionvcauses: the camming member lfitto engaae'rancb fo-rcethe; stripper? bar. 1.4. to; the right; (Fig. 21);.

4. I4 is moved with rapidity and as a result the depending stoppers 9 are given a sharp blow by the camming surfaces l5a. The runners Illa, being thinner and therefore weaker than the stoppers 9 and the parent body it, are broken and the released stoppers fall without damage into a suitable receptacle, such as, for example, a chute 2| which, as shown in Fig. 1, may be located immediately beneath the stoppers. The chute 2| may be fixed relative to the frame I and inclined at an angle such as to minimize the possibility of, breakage. Im theg embodiment of" the invention illustrated in the drawings the chute 2| directs the stoppers to an endless conveyor 22.

E'Qllowing; disengagement of the stoppers from the parent body l0 and gripping of the latter by the grippers l9, the mechanism 20 transfers said body to; the, position shown by solid lines in r wherethe grippers l9 open and release it.

The glass b'o I'Umay be dropped into a chute 2.35 and. therebyrbe. directed to a cullet storage bin (net. shown). However, instead of being storedior use as cullet it would of course be possible to form the body ID} as well as the stoppers 9; l for a particular end'Luse;

@ther applications: and: embodiments of" the. inventiom will sug est: themselvesto those. skilled in: the art together with .uses; therefor: in. com. binations other: than, thatnshown. These: may: be-rna'de without depar-ting fI'0m..thea scope of the invention; asset fprthiin. the appended: claims. which are to be; o'onstrnedt as broadly: as thE-l state of the prior art permits.

liclaim;

.Apparatusrfon stripping a plurality of. glass; articles from a. single: parent/body of glass. to which-thearticlesare attack-ed; comprisingmeans for supportingrsaidcpanentebody with;it's attached articles; and; operable}. means; movable between: said articlesl for, engaging and; dissociating: the: pluralityaof; articles: trom.-said-i parent, body.

2. Apparatus for stripping a plurality of aligned. paralleltglass;articles-from: at single; parent body of: glass: to; which ,th'earticles: are attached-zoom? prisin means forsupporting said parent. body.- with\ its attacheda articles; and: reciprocal means: movable :betweenandlalong. the :line ioflthealignedi articles for engaging and dissooiatingvthe;articles.

hes eciproeal.meansa n. means helf iolels om the parent ho xnparati s qr: t is inea-g urali n o t -sued ass r i les-mam; awonnn nl n renthodx, coma mi t ia -a homesor: aid parent, ody havin horizontal nlattorm: or; temm ng-resist may; with. the plurality qt. -e.-lass:zart oles-; depending t erefrom. 'ats inger arrecinroeailw mounted. relativ to; sa d; platform; and he plural ty? of articles. means.r silie iitahold rst said-r strip per ar: a fi1 '*DOS tiQ1Iaplurality of; samplin surfaces: onarsaid: stripper: bar: each: of which. its onstructed and:arrangedrtmeneaee ano separat The bar onetotithelplurality;.oisarticlesrirom; the .parent .1

of; which: said sure faces being sotdisnos dt as. o: nga e: and: force; said articles obliquely to,the-.line pg m m m body obliquely to the line determined by said aligned articles when said stripper bar is moved to a second position, means for gripping said parent body and removing it from said platform, and means for moving said stripper bar to said second position when said gripping means engages said parent body.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein the stripping member is actuated by movement of the gripping mechanism to engage the parent body.

6. In combination With a press mold and plunger for forming at a first station a plurality of small glass articles attached to a common larger glass body, means for inverting said body and its attached articles and for transferring them to a second station, means at said second station for supporting said body With the smaller glass artioles'depending therefrom, an operable stripper bar having a plurality of members each 6 of which is adapted to engage and dissociate a small article from said body, a gripping mechanism movable between the second and a third station, said mechanism including cooperating gripping members for gripping said larger article at said second station and releasing said article at the third station, and means attached to one of the cooperating gripper members for sharply actuating said stripper bar whereby the stripper members engage and sever the small articles from said body.

DANIEL B. WESTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenrces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gray et a1 Sept. 23, 1930 Number 

